What is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is:
Pain that continues a month or more beyond the usual recovery period for an illness or injury or pain that goes on over months or years as a result of a chronic condition. It may be continuous or come and go.
An affliction that disables, to some degree, about 86 million Americans;
A source of frustration for the health care professionals who seek to provide care and assistance;
A condition that affects quality of life and economic security not only of the person with pain, but also his or her family;
A condition with high economic costs. It is estimated that US business and industry loses about $90 billion annually to sick time, reduced productivity, and direct medical and other benefit costs due to chronic pain among employees.
To regain control of your life, it is important to learn how to cope with chronic pain. Although your pain may never go away, it is possible to reduce pain levels and, more importantly, to improve the quality of your life.
To do so, you may need a multidisciplinary approach to chronic pain. While many people with pain have tried every available medical intervention without great success, sometimes these therapies are most effective when performed together in a controlled setting.
A multidisciplinary pain program can provide you with the necessary skills, medical intervention, and direction to effectively cope with chronic pain. Here is advice on how to locate a pain management program in your area, what to look for in a well-defined pain program, and what other issues to consider.
What is a multidisciplinary pain management program (MPP)?
A MPP offers a variety of skills taught by trained staff to help a person better manage his or her pain. These programs may not offer a cure, but they can help to improve the quality of life and at the same time reduce the overwhelming control that pain can have of daily life.
